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The Mars Climate Sounder In-Flight Positioning AnomalyThe paper discusses the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) instrument s in-flight positioning errors and presents background material about it. A short overview of the instrument s science objectives and data acquisition techniques is provided. The brief mechanical description familiarizes the reader with the MCS instrument. Several key items of the flight qualification program, which had a rigorous joint drive test program but some limitations in overall system testing, are discussed. Implications this might have had for the flight anomaly, which began after several months of flawless space operation, are mentioned. The detection, interpretation, and instrument response to the errors is discussed. The anomaly prompted engineering reviews, renewed ground, and some in-flight testing. A summary of these events, including a timeline, is included. Several items of concern were uncovered during the anomaly investigation, the root cause, however, was never found. The instrument is now used with two operational constraints that work around the anomaly. It continues science gathering at an only slightly diminished pace that will yield approximately 90% of the originally intended science.
Document ID
20080023068
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Jau, Bruno M. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Kass, David (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
May 1, 2008
Publication Information
Publication: 39th Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium
Subject Category
Spacecraft Instrumentation And Astrionics
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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